As I reflected on what to share in this week’s Minister’s Message – two thoughts came to mind. The first being how my heart was broken open last Saturday at the film premiere of “All That’s Left of Us.” And the second being Pope Leo IVX’s lung cancer diagnosis, that also triggered sadness – though, gratefully, tinged with hope and prayers for his healing and wholeness. Having my heart broken open and/or seeking to protect it from debilitating despair have become much more

Rev. Vicky and I have just returned from a three-day Unity West Central Region Ministers and Leaders Training at Villa Maria Del Mar in Santa Cruz. We had a wonderful time catching up with ministers from all over Central and Northern California that we usually only see once or twice a year. We also enjoyed the beautiful location and very warm, sunny October weather! We had some very informative and powerful workshops and activities designed to help us reflect on our evoluti

October is here! And with that, the spooky season has officially arrived. We have some fun things coming up this month you won’t want to miss. Our Spooky Anniversary Celebration Banquet is Friday October 23rd, at Bayonet & Black Horse. If you haven’t already signed up, you can do so in the Sacred Grounds. You can come dressed up for Halloween or not, whichever you prefer. With a lovely dinner, silent auction, live auction, and dancing, a good time is sure to be had by all!

While finding readings for our Sunday "Message in the Music" experience, I came across this post that was too long for the service, but very meaningful. So, I decided to share it here. There are reflection questions at the end to help us reflect on the wisdom we can learn from Nature. “Where The Longest Light Meets The Gathering Dark,” by Shannon Willis (Awakin.org 9/14/26) "Across the living world, abundance and decay, flourishing and loss, are braided together in an int

We are in the midst of the Jewish High Holy Days. They began with Rosh Hashana, the Jewish New Year, which started at Sundown on Friday, September 11, and ended at nightfall last Sunday, the 13th. The High Holy Days then conclude with Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, that begins this coming Sunday, the 20th, at sunset, and concludes at nightfall on Monday. Yom Kippur is the holiest day of the year in the Jewish tradition, with its central themes being atonement and repenta

I'm guessing a number of you, like me, saw recent headlines about a top scientist at the AI company Anthropic saying: “We really do earnestly believe AI could kill all humans!” Adding, “we do not yet have a plan to solve alignment for superintelligence and are not clearly on track to.” According to American journalist and substack writer, Lucian K. Truscott IV, "'Alignment,' for those who are curious, is shorthand for making sure that the goals of humans align with the goal

In my lesson this past Sunday, I talked about how we all have different understandings of God and different ways of relating to the divine. Therefore, it follows logically that we will also have different ways of praying. For many years now, I have been very interested in the myriad kinds of prayer and meditation that exist and have experimented with a wide variety of them. I have also presented many of them to you in Sunday lessons because what I want is for you to have a

I have so enjoyed spending the last three Sundays sharing with all of you some of the adventures Alexander and I have been having on our summer hikes, as well as the deep spiritual lessons I have received from nature. I think you all know, I could talk endlessly about nature and hiking and all things outdoors. However, we are going to switch gears this week. But before we do that, I have one more adventure to share with you. And I’m sharing it because it was just so beautif

A Unity giant, Rev. Edwene Gaines, has made her transition this week at the age of 87. You may know her from her book, The Four Spiritual Laws of Prosperity: A Simple Guide to Unlimited Abundance. I remember seeing her speak many years ago at the annual Asilomar conference. She was a powerhouse, to be sure, and has had a profound impact on our Unity movement. Here is the announcement from Unity Headquarters (now called “Unity Communities & Leaders,” by the way): We are hear

At the time I am writing this, the Big Sur Timber Fire has grown to almost 4,000 acres and is only 5% contained. CAL FIRE has reported that 503 structures are currently threatened, but thankfully, as of yet, no structures have been reported damaged or destroyed, and no civilian or firefighter injuries or fatalities have been reported. Firefighters are working tirelessly around the clock to try to contain the fire, which is located in some of our coast’s most rugged terrain,